U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00023065 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Goodland, KS

NOAA weather station Goodland (USW00023065), Kansas · elevation 3651 ft (1113 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season158 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Goodland, KSSpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 2 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 28 in 1 year out of 10, before October 11 in half of the years, before October 21 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 158 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 2First frost ~Oct 11Frost season at Goodland, KSSpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 2 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 28 in 1 year out of 10, before October 11 in half of the years, before October 21 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 158 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 2First frost ~Oct 11
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 25 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 16September 28
50% (typical)May 2October 11
90% (likely)April 19October 21
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
158 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 23
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 19

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 2 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 13 (2 days later). Frost-free season 161 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Goodland: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 16, 20% May 11, 30% May 8, 40% May 5, 50% May 2, 60% April 30, 70% April 28, 80% April 25, 90% April 19. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 12, 2022 May 1, 2023 May 1, 2024 April 21, 2025 April 29, 2026 May 6.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 16May 2Apr 192021: May 122022: May 12023: May 12024: April 212025: April 292026: May 6Fall at Goodland: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 28, 20% October 2, 30% October 5, 40% October 8, 50% October 11, 60% October 13, 70% October 15, 80% October 18, 90% October 21. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 14, 2022 October 16, 2023 October 6, 2024 October 25, 2025 October 18.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 28Oct 11Oct 212021: October 142022: October 162023: October 62024: October 252025: October 18
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021May 12October 14
2022May 1October 16
2023May 1October 6
2024April 21October 25
2025April 29October 18
2026May 6season not over yet

What these dates mean

September 28 marks the cautious fall date in Goodland for finishing the harvest of tender crops, when there is only a 10 % chance a light frost has already arrived.

In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 16, when the chance of a light frost later is just 10 %. The 50 % light-frost date is May 2, indicating an even odds of a frost occurring later, while the median hard-frost date, April 23, shows when a 50 % chance of a 28 °F frost exists.

For the autumn season the 50 % light-frost date is October 11 and the median hard-frost date is October 19, each representing a fifty-fifty chance of a frost earlier. A hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that would survive a light frost at 32 °F, making the hard-frost dates a tighter gauge of risk.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 16" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before September 28" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Goodland, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Brewster, KS — 14 mi; 2 — Saint Francis, KS — 28 mi; 3 — Bonny Dam 2 NE, CO — 30 mi; 4 — Burlington, CO — 30 mi; 5 — Sharon Springs, KS — 33 mi.KSCONE25 mi · 40 km1. Brewster, KS — 14 mi12. Saint Francis, KS — 28 mi23. Bonny Dam 2 NE, CO — 30 mi34. Burlington, CO — 30 mi45. Sharon Springs, KS — 33 mi5
  1. Brewster, KS 14 mi (22 km)
  2. Saint Francis, KS 28 mi (45 km)
  3. Bonny Dam 2 NE, CO 30 mi (48 km)
  4. Burlington, CO 30 mi (49 km)
  5. Sharon Springs, KS 33 mi (53 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 39.3669, -101.7.